JOINT STATEMENT MONGOLIA-JAPAN-U.S. TRILATERAL MEETING

Mongolia, Japan, and the United States held a trilateral meeting in Tokyo on April 26, 2018. The participants reaffirmed the importance of the Japan-Mongolia-U.S. trilateral meeting as an important mechanism for the exchange of views on regional and multilateral cooperation and on mutually beneficial economic development.

During the meeting, the United States and Japan detailed their vision for a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region in which all countries are free from coercion and can maintain their sovereign right to choose their own paths. Japan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to their increased bilateral relationships with Mongolia in line with Mongolia’s “third neighbor” policy, and the three countries discussed potential avenues of cooperation to promote connectivity, good governance, and a rules-based international order throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

The three sides welcomed the recent positive developments on the Korean Peninsula. They reaffirmed their commitment to maintain global pressure on North Korea, including the full implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions with the view to securing the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The three countries emphasized the importance of addressing humanitarian concerns, including the immediate resolution of the abductions issue.

Japan and the United States expressed their great appreciation for Mongolia’s contributions to UN peacekeeping operations and continued stability operations in conflict zones worldwide. The participants affirmed their shared intent to promote trilateral and multilateral security and peacekeeping cooperation. The three countries also pledged to promote increased cooperation in multilateral institutions and coalitions, including the Community of Democracies and the UN Human Rights Council, in support of their shared values and international norms.

Mutually beneficial economic development remains a key theme in the trilateral relationship. The three countries discussed opportunities to increase trade and make Mongolia’s business and investment climate increasingly attractive to Japanese and U.S. firms, particularly through improved transparency and predictability.

Japan reconfirmed its continuing intention to engage in the international assistance package formulated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and expressed its hope for Mongolia’s steady efforts to keep its fiscal discipline. Japan also reiterated that the New Ulaanbaatar International Airport could be a new symbol of Japan-Mongolian cooperation and enhance connectivity between Mongolia and international community. Mongolia and Japan agreed to exert their joint efforts to accelerate the process to put the Airport into operation as early as possible.

The United States looks forward to the signing of a second compact between the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Government of Mongolia to increase bulk water supply and improve water sanitation in the city of Ulaanbaatar. The United States is pleased to have facilitated access to credit for Mongolian small and medium-sized enterprises through the USAID-funded REACH project and supported the development of Mongolia’s next generation of democratic leaders through the USAID-funded Leaders Advancing Democracy (LEAD) program.

The participants also recognized the importance of Mongolia’s fully implementing the recommendations of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering to strengthen its ability to prevent money laundering and proliferation finance, and the three countries discussed expanding cooperation in this area.